Report on the Long-Term Burden of HIV/AIDS in Africa to be Launched Monday, November 29

About a year ago the Institute of Medicine assembled a committee of 12 to advise the US on the implications for its policy towards Africa of the long-term burden of AIDS there. The two co-chairs of the committee, Tom Quinn and David Serwadda, will release the report findings to the press on Monday, November 27 here in DC, and I will help them respond to questions from the press and public. A formal description of the committee’s mandate and a complete list of the committee members can be found here. If you would like to attend, you can register here.

In view of the recent release of the rather optimistic 2010 UNAIDS Global Report, journalists are likely to ask why our committee is so pessimistic about the future of epidemic – unless the US Congress, African governments and other policy makers change their policies now in dramatic ways. A big distinction between us and the UNAIDS report is our perspective – towards 2020 and beyond. Tune in next week for more.